Snapped
by ktoll9
Summary: A spring can only coil so tightly before it snaps back and hits you in the face. Unspoken words, a wounded male ego, a fragile female heart, and an abundance of misunderstandings no one is willing to clarify. Let's mix them all up and find out what we can create. (a reactionary piece.)
1. Chapter 1

_**A spring can only coil so tightly before it snaps back and hits you in the face. Unspoken words, a wounded male ego, a fragile female heart, and an abundance of misunderstandings no one is willing to clarify. Let's mix them all up and find out what we can create.**_

* * *

_**Snapped **_

_**Chapter 1**_

* * *

What he'd implied hurt. It hurt both her and him. A look of utter pain flitted across her beautiful face and instantly receded, but he had seen it from the corner of his eye and he'd probably would have felt less pain if he'd sheathed that knife of jealousy into his own heart instead of hers. She looked as if he'd slapped her.

"I see..." She turned away from him and picked up her purse. "That's how you've always seen me. Isn't it? There's no way I'll ever be able to convince you otherwise." She reached into her bag and handed him the envelope that contained his gift to her. "You should share that with Morizumi-san. I'm sure she'd appreciate it. It would go nicely with the lovely promise ring you gave her." She placed her hand to open the door, and paused with her back to the pair. "As for Sho, I would never be able to give someone my heart that mistreats me in the ways that he has, and..." She sighed tiredly. "Never mind, if you don't know me by now, you never will. I'm sorry for the inconvenience of being a senpai to someone like me, has caused you. You don't need to take on that burden any longer."

She turned to Yashiro with that fake empty façade that Kuon was intimately familiar with. The one that only her own mother had been able to induce, as far as he knew. "Thank you for the lift, Yashiro-san. I'll find my own ride from now on, and you don't need to bother yourself with arranging my schedule. You're probably far too busy with Tsuruga-san's. Thank you for taking care of me. I'll call Sawara-san later to let him know not to bother you with my schedule." She told him in that cool, even tone of the professional Okami she'd been trained as her entire life, and left the car.

Both men were stunned speechless. One with the remorse that came with hurting her, and the other with confusion over what she'd just said. The ambient atmosphere of a crypt would have been more cheery.

His shoulders slumped as he raked his fingers through his hair. "Not going to say anything?" He murmured to his friend and manager, after hearing the car door quietly shut.

Oh, there was plenty Yashiro wanted to say to him at that moment, but he'd decided that nothing would be productive in the situation, especially with the look Ren now had on his face and the tone of his voice. "No... I think enough has been said." He told him in a calm, disapproving tone and continued their deathly quiet drive to Ren's first appointment of the day.

There were many things that needed to be discussed. Like the not so small, glaring facts Kyoko-chan had brought up about that little snake Kimiko Morizumi and a promise ring, the harshness of how he'd treated her while not once _**ever**_ giving voice to anyone that he saw her as anything more than just a co-worker on the lowest end of the echelon. If one were to go by his words alone, as he'd often insisted, one would be so inclined to believe that Ren had no interest or right to act all butt-hurt about her even talking to Fuwa. She wasn't his girlfriend, and from his tone only moments ago, he didn't even see her as a friend.

* * *

The door closed behind her, and her mask held fast. She was determined, once again, to never allow _**anyone**_ to see her in such a shamefully weakened state. It was moments like this that she could kind of understand why her mother was the way she was. People can only hurt you if you let them, and she was tired of letting people hurt her. One too many knives in the hands of the wrong people, one too many lashes from the whip of life, and one too many muddy feet scraped across the back of a human doormat.

This hurt like hell-fire, and she'd suspected long ago that what she felt for Ren wasn't even remotely close to her childish feelings for Sho. She'd suspected that something like this would hurt. It was precisely the reason she'd never told him how she felt about him. She didn't wish to give him knowledge of that power over her. The power to hurt her in such a profound way, yet he already did without even realizing it.

She needed to shove all of this to the back of her mind and deal with it later. No one needed to know or see what was going on with her. She would not allow her personal life affect her professional life unless it was used to improve it, as Kuu and Takarada-san had told her to. She had told Takarada-san that she would act, so if it called for her to do so, she would even act when she wasn't in front of the camera. She would play the part of a woman that didn't need the approval or love of _**anyone**_. It's not like they would give her that anyway. No one ever had, so why bother now? She realized, once again, that she wasn't good enough the way she was. No matter what she'd done to change, it was never enough. Others would always think that she was some stupid girl with nothing, but love on her mind.

She needed to find a balance. A balance that would make Takarada-san satisfied enough to allow her out of the LoveME Section, but not make others think she was a stupid, love-sick little girl. Perhaps it was for the best that this happened. The mishandled situation had pointed out to her that she'd allowed herself to slip. She'd promised herself not to ever let him see how much she loved him, and that night that had been one of her lowest points, she'd let it slip. She'd let it slip and he'd obviously been disgusted with what he'd seen.

By the time she'd reached the entrance to the studio, she had calmed herself, and a nice little protective coating of frost had hardened around her heart. It wasn't fully encased or formed, but it was enough to dull the pain of what she thought was her stupidity. When she finally reached the conference room, a bit early, her hand rested on the small trinket that Corn had given her. It was only just inside the little pocket in her purse, and her fingers just grazed it. Briefly her thoughts told her that this action was also childish, to rely on something like this to ease the pain from her own choices. She removed her hand from her bag quickly, in a small jerking motion, almost as if she'd been burned by the revelation. She realized that in order to stop being a naive little girl, she needed to wake up and stop believing in fairy tales like a child. She needed to rid herself of _**everything**_ child-like, everything that was the old Kyoko-chan. She hadn't done it the first time around. She had told herself that she'd fully changed, yet here she was, always relying on her old ways, allowing herself to fall back into that old routine. Still she was clinging to her past, and her childish delusions.

Somewhat proud of herself, she'd made it through the table-read. In a last effort to rid herself of Kyoko-_chan_, she pulled out the small blue gemstone, took a deep breath, and placed it on the table of the conference room, where she'd been seated. If it contained any magic, like she'd believed as a child, it would find its way to someone that was more in need of it. Leaving the small purse, with the stone contained inside, she nodded inwardly on her final decision. She stood from her seat, bade her goodbyes for the day, and left the small package behind, silently wishing the next owner better luck than she had.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

It had been a very long morning, and it would seem it would be an even longer afternoon. She may have told him not to bother with her anymore, but he'd be damned if he didn't continue looking after her. He'd never actually seen her in the state she was in when she shut the door to his car, and he was worried. It worried him even more when Producer Kuresaki called to let him know that Kyoko-chan had left behind a small purse at the table-read. The man had called Yashiro to confirm that it was hers, and find out how to get it back to her. It contained a rather large, uncut water sapphire. Something like that had to be important, why else would she keep it in its own little purse?

The significance of the stone was not lost on him when he'd turned to Ren, and asked if she owned something like that. The brief, but noticeable reaction was not missed. It was a mix of surprise, worry, sadness, and oddly enough fear that flitted across his young face. _Why would he have that reaction?_ "Ren? Does Kyoko-chan _**have**_ something like that?" He asked as he pocketed his phone and they made their way to the parking garage.

Ren was silent for a moment, wondering if she'd lost it. In his mind's eye, seeing the small little girl crying, then once again seeing the young woman panicking in the stairwell over dropping it. He couldn't help, but think she'd would probably be devastated by the loss, and be looking for it frantically. Not once did he entertain the thought that she'd left it behind willingly. He finally nodded to his friend/manager. "Yes, it's something very important to her. She'll probably be very upset that she's lost it."

"Ah... well, Producer Kuresaki is holding it at his office. Do you mind if we stop by there on the way to your next appointment to pick it up for her?" Yashiro asked, pulling out his planner to see where Kyoko-chan would be in the afternoon. She may have essentially fired him from being her manager, but that didn't mean he wasn't still her friend or that he still didn't see her as the equivalent of a little sister.

"I don't mind. It's not like we have a full schedule today." No, only a couple of more things, and he would be finished. After what had happened in the morning, his time after his initial appointment was woefully free. They had planned on spending it with Kyoko, but now it would probably feel like rubbing salt into their wounds, and there was a really good chance she honestly didn't want to see him.

* * *

Taking that first step had actually felt quite liberating. Her next stop of the day had been the salon that helped her make her first change, and assisted with her transformation into Mio and Natsu. No, she wasn't there for this personal change. She knew now that all of the new changes had to be done from within and by herself. This change was to aid in polishing Momiji. She honestly didn't want to spend hours in the dressing room, before filming began, on her hair. So, her hair was dyed and extensions were added.

Five hours, three missed phone calls, and seven text messages later, Momiji emerged from the salon with hair that fell to her hips, and had been neatly arranged in a braid. She stood waiting for the bus, checking the missed calls, and text messages, finally deciding to return Yashiro-san's frantic pleas and let him know that she was fine. That she was only getting her hair done, as she had done for Mio. He understood.

"No Yashiro-san, I didn't _accidentally_ leave it behind. I appreciate you getting it for me, but that wasn't necessary." She really wanted to let this go, but it seemed to be clinging tightly to her.

"But Kyoko-chan, isn't it your "Fairy-stone"?" He asked a little worried by the tone in her voice. She seemed more calm than he, and Ren had expected.

The phrasing of the question irritated her. Had she really been _**that**_ naive? "Yashiro-san, it's only a rock, and fairies are only made up stories to entertain children." She answered a little coldly, and another thin layer of ice formed.

"But... Doesn't it hold some kind of sentimental value for you? Isn't it something important?" He asked a little more desperately that he'd realized. He, at the moment, being the only one clinging to her past, and innocence as she tossed it aside.

She fought the bile rising in her throat, caused by what she was about to say. It's never easy to let go, but it had to be done for her own sanity. "No... It's only a rock, Yashiro-san. I don't... I don't need it anymore. I'm not a delusional, pampered child that needs a teddy every time life throws me a curve."

_Ouch, that hurt._ "S-Sorry... I didn't mean to imply such a thing." He felt like a door had been slammed in his face for some reason. "Are you sure you don't want it?"

She sighed, a little irritated. "It's alright Yashiro-san. I know you meant well, and I'm sure I don't want it back. You can do with it what you wish. It no longer holds any meaning for me." She forced the lie past her lips like a champion. She ended the call, discarding the last vestiges of her childhood, and what she now believed to be silly hallucinations of her fantasy loving mind. She was now steadily starting to believe that everything that had happened in Guam had been a product of another of her silly daydreams.

Fairy tales were just stories. Princes, princesses, and fairies did not exist. Corn was the made up delusion of a lonely six year-old. It was time to let it go. She believed firmly now that there was a reason that Sho and Ren had laughed at her childish beliefs, and reason for the fact that they treated her as they did. She would never allow that part of her past to hinder or distract her in such a way, ever again. She would be a mature adult. She would act as she had told Takarada-san. She would act until it was no longer an act, no matter how painful.

* * *

When Yashiro relayed the conversation that he'd had with Kyoko, he felt like he'd been thrown out of a warm home into a stark winter storm, and the door had been slammed in his face. For her, her precious Corn didn't just die, he vanished completely. He evaporated without so much as a whimper, and Kuon didn't even need to tell her the truth, to accomplish it. She did it herself. His stone no longer had meaning. Their meeting in Guam had no meaning, and their kiss had no meaning. He wouldn't find out until the next day, through an irritated Kanae Kotonami, that Kyoko had come to the conclusion that it was all a delusion, invented by a childish mind, and clung tightly to out of insecurity. It was confirmed when he saw her changes in the distance.

Her hair, her clothing, her makeup, the way she held herself, and her gait. They all reflected a previously unknown maturity, that few had been exposed to. He wanted to approach her and demand answers for the nonexistent slight against him, but what would the reasoning be behind such a confrontation? He realized that just as he had no valid argument on her choice of companions, he also had no right to know the reasons behind her most recent changes. He'd only ever given her a couple of tokens that could be easily seen as something a distant acquaintance would give out of obligation. The affection he'd showered on her, had been behind a mask, disguised as acting practice. When he took a leap forward, he would quickly retreat and hide behind a carefully crafted lie. It had been a game of cat and mouse. It had been just that, a game. In her eyes, nothing more than a meaningless game perpetrated by an insensitive, bored playboy that only wished to toy with her emotions to pass the time between conquests. Nothing more, nothing less.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

There is an old saying, that was once coined by a chef in the late 1600's, that everyone has heard at some point in their lives: _"What's good for the goose, is good for the gander"_. Meaning in cooking terms, that the same sauce or method can be used to cook both. In terms regarding life, it essentially means the same. Now, not that Kyoko was inclined to start acting like a _"playgirl"_, but she had decided that she would no longer protect her _chastity_ with the forced vigor of a religious zealot. She didn't intend on giving up her virginity, but she also did _**not**_ intend on living like a nun. Gone was the era where women were locked up to ensure their purity.

She winced at the thought, that she had to be the only 17 year-old girl that she knew of, that had never gone on a date. Of course she didn't intend on throwing herself at just anyone, but if an interesting young man, that **_wasn't_ **a stalker, decided for some misguided reason that he liked her and wanted to get to know her better, far be it for her to deny him. Kanae and Chiori dated, and they were no less pure than when she'd first met them, so why couldn't she? That ideology was precisely what had led up to the following conversation between two best friends, that would then later on lead to said best friend giving a stern lecture to an uncaring jerk and his irresponsible manager, that caused the scathing changes in such a friendly, bubbly person. Neither had made any effort to clear things up with her, and the main culprit was blaming her for something she had absolutely no control over. It seriously pissed Kanae off.

_{"So did you still want to get together before I have to leave?" Kanae inquired. _

_Kyoko smiled a little brightly and Kanae more than half expected to be affectionately mauled for the question. "Sure, but we won't be going to the park for it. I returned the tickets to Tsuruga-san. It just didn't feel right accepting something like that from him when he clearly has a promise with Morizumi-san." _

_Kanae scowled a little at the name. She hated that girl with a white hot intensity after what Kyoko had told her. "Why do you even care about something like that, with that cow?" _

_Kyoko glanced at her with a glint in her eyes that stated resoundingly that she **didn't** care. "I don't, but I also don't feel comfortable with accepting anything from someone that hates me so intensely. I gave him his gift out of friendship. He obviously doesn't see me as a friend. Therefore, I don't wish to force something on him that makes him that uncomfortable." She sighed at the shocked look Kanae gave her. "Mōko-san, he can't even stand to be in the same car with me for a simple ride to work. It would seem that he hates me more now, than when we first met, and I can't pretend that it doesn't bother me." She explained. _

"_So... What do you plan on doing? Avoid him? Act like he isn't there? Aren't you even going to find out why he's angry with you or why he's behaving that way?" She asked, knowing deep in her heart that the idiot had feelings for her best friend. _

"_Why **should** I ask? He made it very clear. He even had the nerve to accuse me of falling back in love with that cockroach." She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "I honestly don't even know what to say about that anymore. I feel nothing for Sho at all. The fact that he suddenly pops up at the most inopportune moments, and forces his way back into my life is exhausting. Even Reino isn't that much of a bother. And I'm tired of being accused of things I'm not guilty of." She groused. _

_Kanae observed her friend in deep thought. "Why don't you come over tomorrow night, and we'll think of something together. Maybe the solution is as simple as just moving... I mean, it would take care of the fact that **undesirables** know where you live, and whomever took those photos you said were mentioned." _

_Kyoko looked up from resting her head on the table at her friend, with a familiar little glimmer in her eyes that was being subdued, on the verge of being extinguished. "You don't mind?" _

_Kanae patted her on the back and gave her a small smile. "No... I don't mind. What time do you want to meet up? I'll be free at five." _

_Kyoko nodded. "Five's fine. I really don't have much tomorrow. Sawara-san told me that my photo-shoot only lasts until four, so I can meet you back here and we can take the bus together." _

_Kanae winced a little. "Mo... You're really serious about this, aren't you? I'm not sure I'd be willing to give up the advantage of a good manager like Yashiro-san, just because his other charge is a jerk." _

_Kyoko shook her head. "I can't stand being around someone that hates me so much, Mōko-san. I've had to deal with that in the past, and I refuse to put up with things like that any more, if I don't have to." She gave her a small, wry smile. "I've decided that I deserve better than that. I've decided that if someone wants to be my friend, they will need to make the effort themselves. I'm done being nice, because it's the proper thing to do. If they don't like me, it's their problem... not mine."} _

* * *

"Kotonami-san told me that they would be having a late lunch here. So, if you plan on clearing things up with her, right now would be a very good time to do so." Yashiro whispered as they walked into the little café, and saw the pair from across the room.

Kyoko's eyes met his, flashed with something unfamiliar, then rested back on her best friend as if she had only looked up to see something that had caused a small disturbance.

Kuon sighed inwardly. "I don't think it's going to be that easy." He commented.

"Giving up?" Yashiro prodded.

He sighed audibly this time. "I don't know. Maybe I should."

"So... you're willing to let her believe a lie, and willing to let her go, **_without_ **knowing the truth?" Yashiro asked with disappointment lacing his tone.

"There's more to it than that." He told him, but wouldn't elaborate. Of course there was more to it. He'd been lying to her from the very beginning, and not from the time she'd joined LME. It had been far longer than that, and he wasn't even sure if him having the stone back in his own possession meant that she knew the absolute truth or if she truly thought that everything had been a figment of her own vivid imagination, and she now believed she'd merely found it laying in the creek when she was small. He fiddled with it in his pocket as he pondered his options. Should he lay it all out before her, or just slink back into the shadows where he'd come from?


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

The decision was made. Even if he didn't full out confess to her, he needed to make it clear to her that he had no interest in Kimiko Morizumi or Kana. Although, he wasn't sure if he should mention the latter of the two if she didn't already know about that one. He didn't want her to think he was a womanizing player, like the other men she'd been exposed to. Fuwa, Kijima, and god knows who else. Because he'd be damned if Yashiro didn't rattle off a list of potential suitors the moment he'd had the opportunity to rub it in. He honestly didn't even know she knew half of the men she did, and it was obvious they were interested, according to Yashiro. He may not have believed his friend at first, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it was. Especially now with her new attitude and new look. Initially she was like a candle in a window, now she was like a roaring fire in the hearth. If she shut the door on him now, out of his own hurt male pride, that door would never open to him again.

So, there he was, in LA Hearts, standing in front of her table as she casually dined, while continuing her conversation with her best friend as if he weren't even there. He cleared his throat to get her attention, and her best friend winced at the gloriously fake smile she seen many times before. Kanae hated that smile on Kyoko. It sent chills up her spine.

"May I help you Tsuruga-san?" She asked in her service person, _I'll-be-nice-to-you-because-I-have-to_, tone.

"Mogami-san, can we talk for a moment? In private?" He asked in a humble voice, but she really wasn't sure **_that_ **was even real anymore. Not after what he'd accused her of. Not after plunging her heart into liquid nitrogen.

Kanae looked at the pair, and knew this had to be done. She knew if she didn't desert her friend like a rat leaving a sinking ship, this would never get fixed. Kyoko would use her as an excuse not to talk to him, and hear him out when he clearly wanted to fix things between them. "It's okay Kyoko. I have that photo-shoot in a few. I'll see you later for what we discussed earlier." _She's going to kill me._ She lamented inwardly as she grabbed her things and left.

"Well, I suppose I really don't have much of a choice now, do I?" She calmly commented, placed her napkin on the table after wiping her mouth, and set her cutlery near her half-eaten meal. She didn't have the stomach for it anymore.

He ignored her comment and the tone that came with it, as he sat in the seat that Kanae had occupied. "Mogami-san, I would like to apologize for what happened the other day." He told her sincerely.

Something flickered behind her eyes and receded almost as quickly. She chuckled and shook her head. "There's no need to apologize for speaking your mind. If that's how you really feel, I honestly can't blame you. It is your opinion after all. At least you had the fortitude to say it to my face, instead of joking about it with your manager behind my back. I do have to thank you for pointing out something like that. I can honestly say it helped me see the bigger picture."

His brow furrowed. "I don't understand."

She cocked her head. "I was being very childish. Believing in fairies, princes, princesses, and other childish delusions. Thinking that anyone could actually even care about me. I should be the one to apologize. I mean... I forced my friendship on you, when you clearly didn't want it. Somehow I led you to believe, in some twisted way, that I could ever have any feelings for Sho after everything he's done. Not to mention the fact that you were forced to share a manager _**and** _a car with me. I can somewhat understand your dislike for being put upon by someone so beneath you, it's ridiculous. I mean I haven't even debuted yet, and here you are being forced to associate with me. No Tsuruga-san, you don't need to apologize. I understand completely... Experience-wise, Morizumi-san suits you... **_perfectly_**. I wish you all the luck with her. She's quite a catch." The last part about Kimiko was clearly _**not**_ a compliment, and Natsu was writhing in ecstasy.

"What are you talking about? What is all of this about Morizumi-san?" He honestly wanted to know where on Earth she'd even heard half of that crap, and did she really believe that he was that shallow? Was that really the image he'd given to her? That he'd only be interested in someone's status, and not them?

She waved her hands. "Oh no, don't worry. I won't breathe a word of it. She and Yashiro-san seemed like you didn't wish for anyone to know about it yet. Although, you may want to warn her about flashing the ring you gave her to everyone, if you're trying to keep it out of the media. If they can misinterpret the night _**my own mother denied my existence**_..." She gave a fake shiver. "Just think what they would do with the truth." She pulled out her wallet, and prepared to pay her bill and leave. She paused briefly, as if giving him the opportunity to deny it, but he was so stunned he said nothing. She nodded at something, as if affirming a suspicion, and left.

* * *

Lory was devastated at the small spectacle and verbal slap. This boss was getting more and more formidable, and he was the one that had orchestrated her evolution. This wasn't like the usual love sims he played, this was more like one of those RPG battle games, where the boss only went up in difficulty before you were able to defeat it, and if you weren't properly prepared before you went in to fight it, you would be knocked out and forced to start over from your last save point. It would seem that his godson had not been adequately equipped before he'd taken on that particular quest-line. He'd hurtled himself headlong into that dungeon without the proper weapons, and completely in the nude. A mature Mogami-kun, was a very frightening Mogami-kun.

He whipped out his phone and dialed. He really needed to find out where she'd gotten all of this erroneous information. For Kuon, Kimiko Morizumi wasn't even on his radar and what was all of this about a ring, and Yashiro protecting said relationship from the media? "Yashiro-kun, I need to have a few words with you and Ren when you have the opportunity." His voice lilted through the phone.

"Of course, Sir. We'll be up shortly." He groaned a little, inwardly. After what Ren had told him just now, he could only imagine what he was in store for. He'd completely forgotten everything that led up to that night, and now Takarada-san was surely going to demand answers. Apparently Ren would be there to listen in on the interrogation he was about to endure. One thing he knew for certain, after this meeting, all of the cards would be laid out on the table, and it would be known for certain who had caused LoveME #1's counter to reset. Well, maybe more like reset in the negative instead of the original zero it had been, and it would seem that it would take significantly more effort to make it tick forward. "Life is good." He groaned sarcastically, after ending the call.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

Yashiro could safely say, that sitting in the same room with Lory, and Ren when they were both angry, had been one of the most terrifying experiences of his entire life. He had finally finished retelling the events leading up to, and surrounding the auditions for _**Sacred Lotus**_. Then Ren had to add in his own two-bits worth of his experiences with that little pit viper. Although, his were far more innocuous and the fool had been naive enough to actually fall for her _poor-helpless-little-old-me, nobody-understands-me_ act and gave her a ring. When it had started, he'd been mortified that Ren had actually come to her defense, by stating that she didn't seem like the type of person that would actually lie, or do something like that to Kyoko-chan, but well... here were the results to his cluelessness.

Yashiro was so shocked by Ren's assumptions about the female, that he was surprised that the young man didn't have women he'd never met, lining up to claim false paternity, against events that never happened. He considered himself fortunate that nothing with Kana-san had surfaced yet. Although, perhaps that one was only a matter of time.

Then out came the photos with Kyoko-chan, and that leech that decided to take advantage of her moment of weakness. Yashiro only had to look at the time-stamp to know that it was the same night she'd heard her mother say those horrible words. Surprisingly to Kuon, Yashiro exploded. First his rant went on about she had been clearly taken advantage of, _**and**_ he pointed it out. The fact that it was Fuwa that had his hands on her and she stood there like a mannequin, instead of the reaction that she'd had on the set of Dark Moon. Then came the scathing remarks about Ren's reaction in the car that fateful morning, and then the scolding that Lory received for showing him something that would easily be misunderstood by someone that _**obviously**_ wasn't thinking clearly, soon followed.

"Don't you _**dare**_ blame _**me**_ for something that was caused by the carelessness of both of you!" He hissed out at the pair that had laid into him for being irresponsible with Kyoko's care. He turned to Ren. "_**You**_ are just as responsible for Morizumi-san and that ridiculous ring you gave her. You knew that she was spreading rumors all over the set during _**Purple Down 2**_ and yet you still played right into her hands. There was a reason all of those women hated her, and she flaunted it in front of them any time she had the opportunity! Don't you _**dare**_ begin to compare _**anything**_ about her, with Kyoko-chan! Then you have the nerve to give her that ring for a return gift. Let's not forget the little instance that you wrapped a little flower around Kyoko's finger and told her the same! Oh wait... _**It's not the same**_!... I'm sorry, Morizumi's is permanent proof. Kyoko-chan's was given to her by _**someone else**_ and is probably in a landfill, rotted away by now!"

He turned to Lory and then began again. "The fact that the investigation into Morizumi-san came as a request through the LoveME Section from the outside, tells me exactly how you feel about the safety of Kanae-chan, Kyoko-chan, _**and**_ Chiori-chan. How could you be so careless?! Oh, and let's not forget that you housed a 17 year-old girl with a sexually active 21 year-old man in a hotel _**without**_ supervision. _**Then**_ told her to _"take care of him"_. Just exactly what did _**that**_ entail, if I might ask? I know why Kyoko-chan is in the LoveME Section, do you?" He finally asked Lory as he wound down from his anger.

Lory was the first to speak. "Yashiro-kun, what you are implying is completely off the mark. I would never allow something like that, and Mogami-kun is in the LoveME Section because she has problems accepting love from others."

Yashiro glared at him. "So you put her with someone that has absolutely no filter when she does something _**he**_ believes is a personal attack on him, and breaks her heart at the first opportunity he has?! _(Ren flinched)_ It isn't that she doesn't know how to accept love! She's never been given love! She doesn't even know what it looks like when it's presented to her! Have you not listened to a single word that's been said by _**any**_ of those girls? With all of the listening devices and cameras you have around this place, have you not heard a single word? How could you have shown him those photos like you did, when you knew that night that, that woman was her mother? She's been alone all of her life, obviously. She strives to do her best because she doesn't want to be shut out. She's never really had anyone do _**anything**_ for her without demanding something in return. You don't need to be a genius to figure it out. You don't need to be told, it's as plain as day. She works hard because nothing in life is free. She works all the jobs she has here that pertain to her acting because she enjoys it, and it gives her an escape. She does the LoveME Section tasks because _**you**_ demand it, dangling that carrot in front of her when she's already an accomplished actress. She goes to school to better herself. She then goes home late at night and works at the restaurant she _**lives in**_. Then works on her _**days off**_, and starts _**all over again**_. What kind of life is that for a teen-aged girl?" All of this had been bothering him for quite some time, and he had only recently been able to finally piece together everything, being her manager and listening carefully to her.

"She does so because she chooses to, Yashiro-kun." Lory countered.

"No, Shachou... She has been, and does do it because it's the situation that she's been _**forced**_ to endure." He answered. "No one has ever bothered themselves to take care of her. No one has volunteered for the task... no... for the _**privilege**_ of taking care of her." He shot another look at Ren when he saw he was about to protest. "_And don't __you __**dare**__ say a word_... all this time you've been denying that you have any feelings for her at all, and the first time it seems like she's making progress and leaving her hatred for Fuwa behind, you shove her into a ditch, then get indignant because she won't listen to you're half-assed apology."

Well, it would seem that the Mogami-kun boss has at least two mini-bosses that would need to be appeased before being dealt with. Lory could only hope that his granddaughter wasn't the next one to sprout up in her defense, life at home would be hell in that case. If Lory hadn't been distracted by the revelations and the scolding, he would have noticed that his newest game console was now a smoldering pile of fried circuits sitting on his desk, when Yashiro had gracefully stepped out to get a breath of fresh air, and find Kyoko-chan to _**properly**_ apologize.

Lory calmly pulled out a bottle of Scotch and poured two glasses, then lit a cigar. "Well, that was..."

Kuon rubbed the back of his neck, more than a little ashamed of everything. "Yeah..." He sighed out.

Lory sighed. "I suppose there is a very large mess to be cleaned up. What exactly can you tell me, that no one else has bothered to tell me? I really don't want to step back into this blindly." He told Kuon. "Please, this time... _**don't**_ leave anything out."

And so, Kuon started from the very beginning, and ended in the moments that brought them to that point.

"Are there any other homicidal women in your life that I should know about, that could be a danger to Mogami-kun, Kuon?" Lory asked dryly.

Kuon groaned a little. "I really screwed this one up. Didn't I?"

"I don't know... I suppose you could go over to TBM tonight and try and fix things properly this time." He commented.

"TBM?" Kuon asked a little surprised, with his brows furrowed.

"Yeah, She has Bo with Bridge Rock every Thursday." He told him casually and Kuon groaned again.

"What?" Lory's eyes narrowed.

Kuon sighed. "If she's that chicken... Well I may have told her that I did have a girl that I was interested in. She might not have stitched that one together."

Lory rolled his eyes and couldn't help, but laugh. He shook his head. "You know... That might not be such a bad thing." Lory's eyes sparkled with mischief.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

"_When it rains, it pours"_, honestly no truer words have ever been spoken, and it just so happens to be a catch phrase for a table salt company, coined in the early 1900's, but really... if she hadn't experienced it herself, she would have never believed it even if someone straight up told her. There were men that actually found her attractive. Honestly, if she lived in a musical, her day, _**after**_ her debacle with Ren, probably would have had _"It's Raining Men"_ as her theme song.

It all began with a playful, velvety, flirtatious voice just before the table read began. "Awe Kyoko-chan, you really don't need to call me Koga-san... I would much rather you call me Hiro-kun." Not to mention the fact that his special style of _"bullying"_, seemed suspiciously like flirting to her. He had actually cheered her up a little, and slightly pulled her out of the funk that Ren had sent her spiraling into.

Her next experience had been on the bus to downtown, on her way to the salon. It was also the reason she was now acutely aware that she would need to start being more careful about how she presented herself in public. She had fans. Yes! Kyoko Mogami... The Kyouko, had fans that wanted to talk to her. Meet her. Get her autograph, and three of the many males along the way had even graced her with a shy, stammering blush when she spoke to them and smiled. Talk about an ego boost. A long overdue ego boost. She could safely say, she'd never received so many hugs in her entire life. She could probably count on her fingers how many she'd received in her lifetime, if she didn't include those she'd received from acting as Setsuka Heel, and from Maria-chan. _It's really nice having fans._

Aimee, Rena, Julio, Bobbi, and Michelle at the salon, boosted her further when she went in to have her hair done. Each one had spoken to her, complimented her on her latest works, praised her for her new modeling contract, and her new role. Bobbi, Julio's boyfriend, had been able to make her spill her guts about her horrible morning, without her revealing any names of course, and helped remove that horrible weight in her chest that had been crushing her since morning. The man was almost like the male version of Jelly Woods. Michelle decided to throw in a mani-pedi, just because she looked like she needed to be pampered, and Rena insisted on doing her makeup for her before she left, simply because it would be a crime to let her leave without feeling 100%, the star they saw her as.

She nearly had to fight tooth and nail to get them to accept full payment for the hair. Michelle refused payment for her nails. She told Kyoko that she only did it because she had no other appointments at the time, and wanted to practice her skills. It was the same for Rena, and her makeup. By the time she was finished, she was thanking her lucky stars that the salon didn't have a spa treatment included, she would have been there until well into the evening. Although, she probably could have gone for a massage after the way her morning had been.

By the time she'd reached the halfway point to the bus stop, that went her route, she realized that she wasn't as unnoticeable as she'd originally believed. So she ducked into a small, local shop and picked up a pair of cute sunglasses and a furry pair of earmuffs. They would have to do as a disguise for now.

Sadly, her enjoyable, uplifting venture had come to a screeching halt when she'd returned Yashiro's call, and had to deal with the nonsense of the stone she was trying to get rid of. She sighed when she finally got off the phone, and sat on the bench under the canopy for the bus stop. "I should have thrown it in the garbage." She gave a small groan. "Well, too late now. At least he isn't insisting on returning it." She kind of felt bad for Yashiro-san being caught in the middle of all of this.

As her bus pulled up, she glanced at the ad on the side, it was for _**Box R**_. It was of her and Natsu's small gang of bullies, posing imposingly behind Chitose, and Kyoko had to admit she actually looked good. As she got on, paid her fare, and took a seat in the back, she wondered why she'd allowed what Ren had said to hurt her so deeply. As she watched the passing scenery, she thought about it and decided it was mostly because there had to be something in Kimiko Morizumi that Ren found desirable, something that no one saw in her _**or**_ maybe it was because he was supposed to be pining over that vile person, and here he was, criticizing _**her**_ about Sho. _At least Sho had never tried to kill anyone. Even when Vie Ghoul had given him problems, he didn't use underhanded means against them._ Even if she detested everything about Sho's personality, and behavior, she admired the pride he took in his own talent. It wasn't an area he was hypocritical about. He actually used his talent, and when it wasn't good enough, he strove to improve it, not hurt others to advance, not use his connections when he wasn't good enough to advance on his own.

Ren liked Kimiko. She tried to kill Kyoko for the part, she caused bodily harm to Erika, and most likely others to get what she wanted, and obviously Ren didn't see that, while he'd despised Kyoko's desire to enter entertainment for vengeance. _At least I was honest about myself._ She wondered if she would have been _**that**_ blind to Sho. She had to admit, it was entirely possible, but she felt she would have eventually seen it at some point and deep in her heart, she knew that she would have walked away from him in a heartbeat or at least would have tried to prevent him from hurting others. No, that still didn't excuse him from making her think she had any small glimmer of a chance with him at all, even as friends, when he had Morizumi-san waiting in the wings with his promise ring. She may have been a vile criminal, but did that merit being two-timed?

She groaned inwardly at the storm of thoughts whirling around in her mind. She honestly didn't even know where she was going with this train of thought. Nothing made sense or fit together anymore. It was as if the pieces to several puzzles were mixed together, not making any sense at all.

It really didn't matter what Ren thought of her, it was no longer her problem. He despised her. He made it clear and she decided that she just didn't want to deal with worrying about things like that anymore. She finally admitted that there was nothing that she could do about it, and she just wasn't going to try and force it.

There were people out there that she would just never be able to please, her mother and Sho had been prime examples. She understood that now. They were entitled to their opinion, but she most certainly did not appreciate that he actually believed for a moment, that she would fling herself into Sho's arms over a moment of weakness. Sho didn't value her as a person, and it would seem that maybe Ren's opinion on her was extremely low too.

After dealing with Ren during her brief lunch, the day after, she went to her photo-shoot for her new modeling contract, and dutifully went to meet her much needed break that involved comedy, and the just plain silliness of _**Yappa Kimagure Rock**_. The Ishibashi trio was the remedy that she needed to bring a smile back to her face. Although, she probably could have done without the recently, as in minutes ago, discovery of the crush Hikaru-kun had on her. The vow to start dating had been brought back to the front of her mind a little sooner than she was comfortable with, but she supposed if he did ask, he wouldn't be such a bad choice to have a first date with. _The only thing that would top this day off is if Tsuruga-san came to talk to Bo._ She thought sarcastically. Unfortunately when she looked up, there he was. _Speak of the devil, and he appears_.

She groaned, wondering exactly what she'd done in a past life to be punished in such a way. Although, he looked pretty ragged himself. She was thankful that she was wearing her costume. She was just too exhausted from pretending that she didn't care for the past few days, Yashiro-san's apology, _which was completely unnecessary _(She thought), and doing her scenes for _**Sacred Lotus, **_to pull on the mask. Bo was her mask right now and had been for the last two hours, it had been a welcome break because he really didn't take much effort for her, but now? No, now she had to speak to _**him**_, and she had to pretend she wasn't affected by anything, pretend that she didn't know about the last few days.

Inwardly, she was cursing the very first moment he'd ever noticed her, cursing her squeaky feet, Bo's rotund body, and her big mouth for ever speaking to him about Tentekomai... She paused for a moment. _Tentekomai? Who the hell doesn't know what tentekomai is? _Every word he'd ever uttered to Bo, came floating back into her mind, word for word._ He's American, he has to be... There's no other way to explain it. Of course it would be __**her**__. __**She**__ was there. He's probably known __**her**__ since childhood._ She grimaced. _Like me and Sho._ She felt the bile in her throat well up with that thought._ Until she shows him her true colors, like Sho did to me, he won't see anyone, but her. He won't understand anything. Wait, no... That doesn't make sense either. Why would he even care if I __**did**__ have feelings for Sho?_ That thought actually did make a little bit of the bile come up, the thought of her reverting to that state again.

Without notice she'd actually ended up sitting on the floor across from him, in her distracted thoughts. The pieces to the puzzle, in her mind, were really _**not**_ fitting together. This was not the problematic maze that she'd had to deal with for Mio. This was far more complicated. Even the excuse of him being a playboy wasn't fitting this puzzle.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: A little salve for the reader's wounds coming up. 8) Love you guys & thank you for following this story. xoxo~**_

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

Admitting to himself that he loved her had never been the problem, but telling people that would make a big production of it, was always what he wanted to avoid. Regardless of what one might think, Kuon had always been a bit of an introvert. It was why his girlfriends in the past had always been the first to make a move, the first to ask _**him**_ out. Not the other way around. He may have been like his father in some ways, but when it came to his love for Kyoko, he honestly didn't wish to share it with the world, in that over-the-top way. He wanted to hoard it, enjoy it quietly, without interruptions, revel in it. Involving Yukihito, and Lory would destroy any chance of that. It would bring in the media, spectators, friends, and family. They always blew everything out of proportion with their melodramatics.

Sitting here in the halls of TBM, waiting for _"Bo"_ to have that talk, was completely outside of Kuon's comfort zone, but Kyoko had always been able to pull him out of his shell or he should say force that side of him to show. He loved it because it was new, exciting, and interesting, but he also hated it because it was unfamiliar, frightening, and made him feel out of control. He'd heard once, he wasn't sure where, that love was like spinning around in circles until you were so dizzy, you'd fall on the ground... stopped, but with the world still spinning around you, and no matter what, you'd be laughing the entire time, and want to do it over and over. He had to admit, it was true, but hell... some of those falls, scrapes, bumps, and bruises hurt like a mother. Kyoko would probably agree, had she known what he was so deeply in thought about.

Had he not known the _"man"_ behind the mask of Bo, he admitted that he would either be very irritated, or very confused by the behavior of said mascot. It would appear that she was just as confused over him being there as he should have been by her reaction to him, but he only sat there quietly observing Bo, wondering why he'd never noticed before, as she tried to piece together why he was holding that stupid stone that kept popping up, when she wanted to get rid of it. He wondered if she was going to ask about it, with as intently as she was staring at it.

It took a considerable amount of effort on her part to keep from running in the opposite direction. To avoid him entirely until everything that had happened, just melted away with time, but no. It can never be that way, can it? Once the blood is drawn, the predators catch scent and pursue until the prey either submits, or fights back. Both of our protagonists felt this way about the situation they now found themselves in.

This was something that needed to be dealt with. He didn't really try in LA Hearts, and honestly? She really didn't give him much of an opportunity, and they both knew this. Now that she was sitting there, staring at that stupid stone, she felt a little bad for snapping at him like that. Wasn't she doing almost the same thing with Kimiko, as he was doing with Sho? Well actually in a way, more than she realized. The misunderstood love connections. The anger of a misplaced love. The jealousy over said misplaced love. The combined cluelessness of the pair was monumental to outsiders.

_**~xoxo~**_

After what Lory discovered about them, their connection, their troubles, Bo, everything, he could honestly say he'd never been so stunned. It was actually no coincidence at all, that there was no one near that hall where they'd met, or using the recording studio they were sitting outside of at the moment. Once the pair were sitting quietly across from each other, that hall was off limits. Some knew why, others just thought the studio was under repairs, so they didn't bother going near it.

_**~xoxo~**_

The look on his face, didn't quite match what she'd imagined going through his mind... _Unless, Morizumi shot him down, or he found out what she was really like_. Those thoughts were a little more depressing than she'd anticipated. No one deserved something like that, no matter how much they didn't like her or pissed her off. She watched as he fiddled with her old stone. _Maybe it did go to someone that needed it more than me, after all._ Her heart clenched a little at the thought. She was still fighting that little girl inside, but she felt like she was _**kind of**_ winning the battle.

They really didn't greet each other like they normally did, casually and relaxed. It had been a long, drawn-out silence for quite a few minutes. She watched as he tumbled the stone over and through his fingers. A small, soft smile and sad eyes graced his visage. It was painful to watch. She watched as he sighed and slipped down off of the bench, and sat agura in front of her. Another confirmation that he was a foreigner, in her mind.

He held the small stone up to the lights and tilted it, changing the color. "I think I've always loved her." He sighed out.

_Oh no..._ This really isn't the conversation she wanted to hear. Not even as Bo.

"The owner of this stone..." He finished.

_What?!_

He sighed. "I really don't deserve her... and she probably hates me now."

She wanted to scream and call him a liar, but Bo wasn't allowing her to let the words out. He was _**making**_ her listen now. The brief thought of the costume itself being possessed crossed her mind, and faded into the ether.

"I should have told her the second I knew who she was. I shouldn't have let things get so out of hand, but I just didn't want to destroy her image of me or those memories... I guess I did anyway by not telling her." He shook his head.

_What is he talking about?_

He chuckled wryly. "Can you believe it? Someone as perfect as her... thought _**I**_ was a fairy." He smiled softly. "You know, she looked more like a fairy princess in her cute frilly dresses, shiny shoes, and ruffled socks. I felt so horrible that day, before I met her by the stream. I'd gone there to blow off steam, throw rocks... do as much damage as I could in a place where it wouldn't matter, where I wouldn't be yelled at or criticized... _again_. And there she was, crying..." He looked up at Bo. "It even tore my heart out back then to see her cry. I hated anyone that would make someone as perfect as her cry even a little bit. She didn't deserve to cry. She deserved to only be happy, to laugh all of the time. It's why I gave her my stone, and told her it was magic... but the only magic there was hers. She thought I was the fairy, but it's actually her... She's still magical, she just doesn't know it anymore, but she still shines more brightly than any star. It's almost blinding when she smiles." He let out a small chuckle. "Sometimes it feels like I need sunglasses just to look at her... _So beautiful_." He breathed out the last part.

She almost couldn't breathe because of the way he was describing her, and tears that she couldn't wipe were streaming down her cheeks inside of that stifling costume. It was a herculean effort to steady her voice and speak. "Tsuruga-kun... didn't you tell me a while back that you couldn't have anyone important to you? What changed?" There was the Million Dollar Question.

"Ahhh..." He sighed out, leaned back on his hands and stared up at the ceiling. "I was stupid... selfish... Underestimated her amazing magic..." He chuckled. "I can honestly say, I didn't even know what love was at the time, I suppose. I guess that can be the only explanation for it. You know?" He glanced down at her.

"Yeah... I kind of know what you're talking about... I don't think I've ever actually been in love until this past year." She hesitantly told him, keeping up her façade of Bo. "Most of it has been a crush or one-sided, I guess..."

What she'd said made him pause. Was she truly in love with someone other than Fuwa? "Really? Well, at least one of us hasn't ruined everything." He partially lamented, but honestly just wanted to pull a little more information out of her.

Bo nodded. "Yeah, but I really don't think that person is going to be too happy about it once they know who I really am. Honestly, I kind of have the same problem you're facing at the moment." She confessed. "They told me quite a few things without knowing it was me they were talking to."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but I'll bet you didn't get jealous and say some pretty horrible things you never meant to say. I doubt you tore your own heart out with theirs, in the process."

She shook her head, remembering lunch at LA Hearts. "Hmm... Well, I did misunderstand quite a few things and took a few jabs of my own. I believed a lie that was told to me, and should have allowed them to clear things up."

He nodded in agreement. "I suppose I can relate to something like that. I believed it when her ex decided to corner me in a parking garage, and tell me she would never love me, and that she was only using me to get to him. That she would rather be a slave for his parents, than ever consider loving me... I suppose the other day, when I saw her laughing with him... I just lost all hope and said a lot of stupid things. I believed him for a moment... someone that wouldn't tell me the truth to save his own life, and I fell for it. How stupid is that? To take his word over hers. Why would she even tell him something like that and it _**not**_ be a lie? She actually hates him, and I was dumb enough to believe him for a single important moment."

Tears instantly stopped and angst was replaced with fury. _Sho has no boundaries whatsoever! What the hell? Where did he get off saying any of those things? Much less, going to Corn with it!_ Off came Bo's head in a flash. "_**I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY THOSE THINGS!**_ He wouldn't let me go without making that disgusting statement, and that horrible promise... _I just wanted him to go away and he wouldn't let go of me. Not even Shoko-san would make him stop when she finally found us_." She whispered the last part, in a saddened tone, tears streaming once again. _"I didn't __**want**__ to say any of it."_

Instantly, the bulky body of Bo, was awkwardly wrapped in a pair of masculine arms. "I know Kyoko-chan... I am so sorry. For everything." He told her, quietly snuggling her, and taking in her scent.

"I'm sorry too, Corn."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

* * *

When he'd left that morning, months ago, he knew perfectly well what he was doing. He knew it could possibly be caught by a paparazzi, him leaving her home so early in the morning. He _**knew**_ what people would think. Had she not demanded that he use a disguise, it would have been even better. He had a hunch that Tsuruga would show up; actually, he'd somewhat counted on it since Shoko did tell him that they were sharing a manager. He _**wanted**_ their morning to be misinterpreted by anyone that had seen it, and not known the truth. He'd left his ring behind, just for good measure. That Okami and Taisho were just too trusting for their own good, and he knew they would try and give it to her at some point. If it was in front of Tsuruga, so much for the better.

When Kyoko had come to him that day, and told him she was finished with revenge, he knew he had to do something, anything. He knew he had to find a way to keep her from pulling away from him, from finding someone else to rely on. He didn't want her finding someone else to turn to while he was gone. It was a risky plan. It could have ruined them both, but if no one knew... not even her, she was just clueless enough for it, and he would have her forever. She would come running to him or she would honor that stupid promise. He was confident that something would happen to bring her back to him.

It had been six months since he'd started his concert tour series, and not a word from her. He brushed off any worry, safe in the knowledge that he knew she was filming a pretty big movie. He wasn't sure how long something like that took, but he suspected that she would be insanely busy from it. He thought that was the reason she never called him or texted him. It didn't matter, he would see her in another few months when he had a break, around the time of her birthday. She would accompany him to the music awards, and he would be at her side at her movie premier. Then the world would _**know**_ that she belonged to him, and anyone else could eat their hearts out. _That would include Tsuruga._ He smirked at those thoughts.

_**~xoxo~**_

"Mo, spending another night in?" Kanae asked as she snatched a carrot piece from the cutting board.

Kyoko nodded. "We both prefer it that way. It's not as busy or messy. We don't have to worry about the paparazzi finding out where either of us live.

Kanae smirked. "I appreciate that. It's bad enough with my family around all of the time. I don't need the paparazzi crawling out of the woodwork too."

Kyoko smiled, then turned to check the roast. "You don't mind that Kuon comes over, do you?"

Kanae rolled her eyes. "Pfft. Why do you even ask? Of course not, you live here too. Besides, I have a date with Yuki tonight." She smirked. "Just be sure you shoot me a text if you two decide to get naughty." She winked.

Kyoko blushed fiercely. "MOKO-SAN! We haven't done anything like that yet."

Kanae smirked. "Yet..." She called out, running from the kitchen to escape the wrath of Kyoko, and get ready for her date. She knew at some point Kyoko would crack and the tease wouldn't be valid anymore, but it was still fun to watch her fluster over it.

Not too terribly much later, a disguised Kuon Hizuri would be greeted by his girlfriend's roomie/best friend, and invited into the home that the pair had been sharing for almost six months. It wasn't the secure apartment or gated community that he would have preferred, but he knew for a fact that her stalkers wouldn't be visiting her any time soon, nor would they be able to weasel the info out of clueless secretaries or assistants. Only Chiori, Kanae, Ruto, Kuon, Lory, and Yuki knew where she'd moved to, and it would stay that way.

"Ren..." Kanae smirked with an eyebrow cocked, when she answered the door.

"Kanae..." He smiled back.

She snorted. "Well, you better hurry in before the children spot you. I'm sure you don't have enough candy on you, to fend them off."

He chuckled. "Yuki will be by soon. He just needed to stop at his place and change." He told her as he entered.

Kanae nodded. "She's in the bedroom changing. Careful, she made a roast with all the trimmings AND a dessert." She warned.

Kuon let out a small groan, and Kanae patted him on the shoulder.

"Mo... Don't you _**dare**_ leave any for me." She whispered low. "Well, maybe for Yuki. You know he probably wouldn't mind."

Kuon chuckled a little as they entered the living room and he sat on the sofa, while Kanae left to let Kyoko know that Kuon had arrived. There would be many more such dates, and meetings between friends and lovers, but they would never again allow each other to experience the pain they'd caused each other in the beginning. Knots were untangled, storms were calmed, and wounds had been healed.

* * *

_**TRAITOR!**_ It was the only word that screamed in his mind at her perceived betrayal. She was supposed to wait for him. He hadn't been gone that long, less than a year. Not even ten months, more like eight or nine, and she couldn't even hold out _**that**_ long? She was supposed to still love _**him**_, _**not**_ Tsuruga! How could she not love _**him**_? He kissed her on Valentine's Day. He was there when her own mother told the world she didn't exist and offered her comfort, for once. He'd even left her something to remember him by, when he'd left. They grew up together. They were supposed to get married and be together forever. _Why?_

He slammed her hard against the brick of the wall of the parking garage, knocking the breath out of her, in a spot he was sure no one would find them. His hand ruthlessly gripped her's above her and his body pinned her to the wall. "It's time for you to go back, Kyoko... You made a vow. Time to pay up." He ground out as she winced in pain, and struggled against him.

For the first time since he'd known her, she did something that he seriously _**did not**_ expect. She screamed at the top of her lungs, startling him, kneed him in the crotch when he'd stepped back a little, and elbowed him in the side. She then ran to the men that had heard, and come to her rescue. He'd thoroughly expected Tsuruga to be not far behind after that, but who had come, had been _**much**_ worse. It was someone completely unaffiliated, as far as he knew. Someone that he thought had been one of Tsuruga's rivals. Someone that would possibly tell everyone what they'd seen. A wild card.

"Tsk..." He turned to his manager. "Look what we have here." He turned back to Kyoko who was standing behind the pair, finally calming down. "You should call Kuon or Yuki, Kyoko-chan. They would want to know about something like this. I would if something happened to Chi."

She nodded sharply and pulled out her phone, as his manager escorted her inside the building.

"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" He bit out, only just recovering from the almost life-altering strikes. "What's going to happen when I tell everyone that you attacked me?!"

Hidehito Kijima laughed. "First, no one would believe that sweet little Kyoko-chan attacked _**you**_ Fuwa-kun. Secondly, I think maybe you'll have more to worry about once Kuon finds out she had to do _**this**_ to get away from you. You sure you want that?"

"Who the hell is Kuon?" He bit out, still nursing the testicular pain.

Hidehito chuckled, and shook his head. "A man that will beat your ass to a bloody pulp for messing with his fiancée."

_What the hell? She was with Tsuruga. That's what all the tabloids are saying._ He was still trying to piece together the puzzle when he heard Shoko calling out to him and dialing his phone in the garage. One month later, after all the photos from the garage security cameras came out and exposed the incident, Sho would discover exactly who Hidehito Kijima was referring to. Kuon Hizuri, aka Ren Tsuruga, and that was a man you did not want to have pissed at you.

* * *

_**~fin~**_


End file.
